Submit Your Information

FROM THE MINISTER

Rev David Schwartz is a very interesting guy, to say the least! This month we celebrate our first year with David, who continues to awe us with the thoughtfulness of his heart and mind. He's made a brilliant connection in his article in the June Contact, our newsletter.

"I only ever have basically one response to the hand-wringing about the future of the liberal faith and church and religion. I usually say something like:
Look, it's fun and interesting to talk about all that, but my sphere of influence is this church right here. I don't know where the whole thing is going, I can't control it, I can't cure it. I care about: where are these people going? What can I do to lead here: what's the vision, the mission, how do we stay on it right here?
Listening back to a Mos Def track off "Black on Both Sides," he says of hip hop exactly what I mean:
Listen.. people be askin me all the time
"Yo Mos, what's gettin ready to happen with Hip-Hop?"
(Where do you think Hip-Hop is goin?)
I tell em, "You know what's gonna happen with Hip-Hop?
Whatever's happening with us"
If we smoked out, Hip-Hop is gonna be smoked out
If we doin alright, Hip-Hop is gonna be doin alright
People talk about Hip-Hop like it's some giant livin in the hillside
Comin down to visit the townspeople
We are Hip-Hop
Me, you, everybody, we are Hip-Hop
So Hip-Hop is going where we going
So the next time you ask yourself where Hip-Hop is going
Ask yourself: where am I going? How am I doing?
'til you get a clear idea

As we face squarely the reality of caring for the historic building our church inhabits, it’s easy to get stuck in that question: where do you think this church is going? Can we do it? Can we live here? Next year? In thirty years? Where are we going?

But the harder question, the realer question, the more important question is: Where are you going? How are you doing? If we’re doing alright, this church is going to be doing alright—wherever it meets. We’re the caretakers of this space, and it serves us. But the real and enduring substance of the church is only ever the people. It’s us, united by the commitments we make to travel this road together: to dwell together in peace, to seek the truth in love, to help one another—a promise to nurture our spirit and help heal the world.

At the end of my first year with you, I am filled with gratitude. Most important for me this year was to get to know you: to build relationships, lead worship, sing together,
laugh together, talk together. I’m proud to serve this church and all the committed, complex, curious, fierce, funny, wondering, beautiful people who weekly create and re-create it.

Thank you to you who brew the coffee and serve on committees. Thank you who sing and lead worship, who organize protests, who tend to bylaws and business, who put on parties and potlucks. Thank you to you who say hello to newcomers and take them out for lunch. Thank you to everyone who gives of time, and talent, and treasure.

And thank you to each person who comes on a Sunday morning needing relief from the whirlwind of life and shelter from the storm: this is your church.

Buddhist Meditation

Reverend Marcia Curtis is temporarily canceling the Sunday evening meditation until further notice. For more information please clickredlotussangha.org. We hope to resume the meditation and dharma talks in the next few weeks.